We were quite happy to see last week that Apple has submitted a new requirement to (European telecoms standards body) ETSI for a smaller SIM form factor -- smaller than the one that goes in iPhone 4 and iPad.

They have done that through the standardization route, through ETSI, with the sponsorship of some major mobile operators, Orange being one of them.

Processing would take some time, but thew first devices using those SIM cards could be out next year.

7 user comments

Maybe they want a smaller SIM card intended for iDevices only. It just makes sense, given the fact of their integrated battery, their proprietary power plug, their lack of flash card slot (I guess that makes the terminal dramatically thinner, too), and so on. In fact, in the future, Apple could integrate the SIM itself into the phone, and guess what? They'd still sell all their crap out.

"You know, it seems that quotes on the internet are becoming less and less reliable." -Abraham Lincoln.

Originally posted by 5fdpfan: I never thought sim cards were that thick to begain with. Guess I'm wrong?

They are proposing a card with a smaller footprint, not the thickness. Regardless I don't see how they can shink a micro-SIM card without a complete redesign. The current micro-SIM card is the one on the right in this picture:

"The only people who should buy Monster cable are people who light cigars with Benjamins." - Gizmodo

What if my iPhone xx, the only one in the world using that hypotetical smaller SIM card, breaks and needs a physical repair? I'd have to send it and I'd need a service phone meanwhile, but the tech is a new born, so I'd need also a new "classic" SIM card... Or a spare iPhone xx... :-m

(Of course, some can say it would never break because it's an iPhone... And they would be wrong).

"You know, it seems that quotes on the internet are becoming less and less reliable." -Abraham Lincoln.